On Monday, March 5, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine filed a civil lawsuit
on behalf of the state of Ohio and its citizens against the agricultural
biotechnology and agrochemical corporation Monsanto, alleging it concealed
information about dangerous toxic chemicals it sold for decades. The suit
also calls for Monsanto to remove the dangerous chemicals from contaminated
Ohio land and natural resources.

The lawsuit, which mirrors other suits filed by states like Washington
and Oregon, focuses on Monsanto’s production and sale of polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), which was used widely in products ranging from sealants,
lubricants, and paint to electrical equipment and carbonless copy paper,
as well as by various manufacturing operations in Ohio.

As experts have definitively revealed, PCBs have been linked to a number
of negative health effects, including liver damage and cancer, and were
banned by the EPA in 1979, two years after Monsanto stopped making the
chemical. PCBs are known to also build up in natural resources and contaminate
the food chain. Studies have shown PCB contamination in dozens of rivers,
lakes, and bodies of water across Ohio, as well as in wildlife, soil,
plants, and air.

As alleged in the suit, Monsanto first learned of PCB’s toxic effects
as early as the 1930s,
but continued to make and sell them for decades while concealing their dangers to humans and the environment. It cites an internal company memo dated
in 1937 that acknowledged “systemic toxic effects” caused
by prolonged exposure, as well as a campaign spanning decades to mislead,
deceive, and misinform the public and government regulators.

Corporate Misconduct Exposed Through the Civil Justice System

Monsanto is one of the most powerful corporations in the world, and its
products have been used widely for manufacturing and agricultural purposes
for years. While its products are widely used, Monsanto has faced heavy
criticism and controversy for producing dangerous chemicals like Agent
Orange, DDT insecticide, and PCBs, threatening biodiversity through seed
patenting and GMOs, and for applying techniques developed by aggressive
biotech drug companies to its business model.

Monsanto’s history of controversy and alarming pattern of deceit
has remained consistent throughout the years. Just this year, the American
Association for Justice included Monsanto in its report on the
Worst Corporate Conduct of 2017. That report focused on the company ghostwriting scientific reports that
mislead government regulators from the EPA into concluding that glyphosate,
a chemical used in the weed killer product Roundup, was not carcinogenic.
However, it was soon discovered through company e-mails that employees
collaborated on ghostwriting articles as part of a PR campaign against
the numerous lawsuits they faced from farmers and others who alleged Monsanto
failed to warn them that Roundup could cause lymphoma. The World Health
Organization determined glyphosate was a probable cancer-causing chemical in 2015.

Concealment and deception on this scale are nothing if not frightening,
and its impact on the environment, communities, and humans is tremendous.
As a law firm of proven Civil Trial Attorneys who fight on behalf of clients
wronged by negligent and wrongful acts, including those committed by powerful
corporations, we know of the unspeakable terrors corporations can create
when they apply their endless resources to matters of deception and wrongdoing,
and how their prioritization of profits over people not only leads to
corporate shortcuts, but also an unfathomable and unacceptable disregard for human life.

If there is any consolation to the devastation this type of activity can
produce, it is that there exist ways to stop it. Although it is surely
not an easy endeavor, exposing corporate misconduct is one of the most
important features of our civil justice system; courts where victims,
communities, and states can stand up to make their voices heard, and where
they have a more level playing field to take on even the most powerful
corporate entities. Lawsuits such as the one filed by Ohio’s Attorney
General against Monsanto, as well as the personal injury,
product liability, and
class action lawsuits filed by our own team at Spangenberg Shibley & Liber have the power
to raise awareness and produce change – not just for individuals
who suffer injustice and losses, but also on a massive scale to benefit
large groups of people, if not all Americans.

Our award-winning Ohio trial lawyers have been protecting the rights of
clients throughout the state and the country since 1946, and we are passionate
about discussing issues so very critical to our communities, clients,
and civil justice system. We apply this passion in every case we handle,
no matter how big or small, and always fight to protect our clients’
rights and pursue the justice and outcomes they deserve.

If you have a potential civil case to discuss, learn more about our practice
areas and services, by calling (216) 600-0114 for a free consultation.
Spangenberg Shibley & Liber is ready to fight for you.

Cleveland Personal Injury Attorneys

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